09.02.2021 - One Step Closer: Edging Towards Deeper and Wider EU Defence Partnerships

9 February 2021 (Tuesday)

13:30 – 14:45 CET

Register in advance for this meeting here

The EU‘s defence cooperation has made a considerable step forward by (in principle) agreeing on the notion of including third countries to participate within the framework of the new European defence initiatives. This opened door will attract the closest EU partners (and NATO allies) to explore the potential depth of their future involvement – but by it, also their inclusion into EU defence initiatives. At the end of the “exploration”, there will be identified avenues to bring EU partners (considering primarily the case of Norway) into the key EU defence initiatives and potentially even beyond. This mentioned inclusion will likely be gradual, limited, and selective in its nature (short of real integration), yet it will bring about added value for the parties involved and will contribute positively to European security.

• What are the possibilities to extend the current framework/modality of defence cooperation between the EU and third countries through the lenses of contemporary EU defence policy?
• What are internal EU dynamics and external factors that influence the scope of inclusion of third parties?
• What is the defence industrial dimension of European strategic autonomy?
• What does this all mean to third counties, foremost Norway?

Speakers:

• Amb. Stefano Stefanini, former Diplomatic Advisor to the President of Italy (2007-2010), former Permanent Representative of Italy to NATO.
• Tomáš A. Nagy, Advisor to the State Secretary at Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic
• Marcin Terlikowski, Head of International Security Programme in the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
• Mathilde T.E. Giske, Junior Research Fellow, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)

Moderator: Kinga Brudzinska, Head of Future of Europe Programme, GLOBSEC

During this event, we will present the findings of the final report titled “One Step Closer: Edging Towards Deeper and Wider EU Defence Partnerships” written in a framework of one-year-long project Enhanced European Opportunity Partners in the EU’s Defence and Security Initiatives: Study case of Norway, funded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence. In addition, we will share the key insights from the policy paper on defence industrial dimension of European strategic autonomy.